If you're a demanding computer user, sometimes your 13-inch Ultrabook laptop just won't quite cut it. For those looking for a little more computing power, HP's new Z8 workstation could be just the answer. The latest iteration of HP's desktop workstations packs in a pair of Intel Skylake-SP processors, topping out with twinned Xeon Platinum 8180 chips: 28 cores/56 threads and 38.5MB cache each running at 2.5-3.8GHz, along with support for up to 1.5TB RAM.

Next year, you'll be able to go higher still with the 8180M processors; same core count and speeds, but doubling the total memory capacity to 3TB, as long as you want to fill the machine's 24 RAM slots.

Those processors and memory can be combined with up to three Nvidia Quadro P6000 GPUs or AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 parts if you prefer that team. The hefty desktop systems have four internal drive bays, two external (and a third external for an optical drive), and nine PCIe slots. Storage options include up to 4TB of PCIe-mounted SSD, and 48TB of spinning disks. A range of gigabit and 10 gigabit Ethernet adaptors are available; the machines also support 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. Thunderbolt 3 is available with an add-in card.

This is one hell of a beast of a machine, and something most of us will never have the pleasure to use. That being said - I've always been fascinated by these professional workstations, and the HP ones in particular. Current models are obviously way out of my price range, but older models - such as a model from the Z800 range - are more attainable.

At the risk of repeating myself, privacy concerns do not evaporate simply because data isn't stored in the cloud. If its important enough to worry about, worry about it regardless of where the physical server is located.

At the risk of repeating myself, privacy concerns do not evaporate simply because data isn't stored in the cloud. If its important enough to worry about, worry about it regardless of where the physical server is located.

Privacy concerns in the cloud vs local are similar in some ways and different in others. But if there is a rule/law/policy that says "no data outside the building/company/country" the Cloud sometimes just stops being an option and local workstations start to make more sense. Of course you will still need to comply with many other rules/laws/policies to satisfy the privacy concerns